Pneumatic power generator



June 22 91926.. 1,589,766

' A. H. SCHREIBER PNEUMATIC POWER GENERATOR Filed Sept. 13, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 June 22 1926. 1,589,766

A. H. SCHREIBER RNEUMATIC POWER GENERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 15.1923 FIG, 2

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Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED i avesse esas-mea QF @Mentana Cammarierrevaem www @www nppicationfiled September 13, 1923. Serial `12m. 662,424.

This invention relates to pneumatically operated power'generators. n

'An important object of the invention 1s to 'provide means -forproducing power by utilizing the natural travel 'of air through ashaftfor'other passageway for driving a powergenerator. p

i' A further object of the invention is to provide vmeans forcontrolling the speed ofthe above mentioned generator for' betterenablin the'power created thereby to be used for different purposes;Other obj ects and advantages of the invention will' be apparent duringthe course of f the folIowingdescri-ption.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are" employed to designate like parts throughout thesame, I Figure 1`is avertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of apassageway formed in the side of a hill or ineuntain with the powergenerator properly positioned therein',

Figure 2 is afragmentjary front elevational view of the hill orniloi-intain with the power generator associated therewith, Figure '3lis a horizontal sectional view, partly in elevation, ofthe passagewayand power generator with a` bylpass' associated therewith, and i 1' iAAV'Fi'ure'f''isa fragmentary horizontal sectional view, partly''inelevation, showing a governor controlled valve for the ley-pass.

l In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration'issliown apreferred embodinates a fragmentary portion of a hill or mountain with apassageway formed therein that consists of a. horizontal shaft portion 6which communicates with a vertically extending shaft portion 7. It is tobe understood that this passageway may be in the form of a verticallyextending stack with a tending shaft 12 having suitably secured thereto"a spirally formed blade 13 which is adapted'tobe engaged by the naturaltravel of airthrough the tubular element 8 and shaft portions 6 and 7.Thisshaft 12 is extended outwardly 'at both ends beyond the journal`bearing `supports 10 and 11 for accommodating dynamos 14 and pulleys 15froin which differ-ent forms of power may be taxen.

' In' Figs. 2 to 4r inclusive, there is shown the byjpass 1 having'amouth 'portie-nk 17 which 1s positioned laterally` in proximity to themouth of the horizontallyl .extending shaft (i and having a door 18which is intended to be usedas a valve element for regulating theamountof air that willpass inwardly through the said mouth 17. The inner endof this lay-'pass 1.6 Vcomnninicates with the horizontally extendingshaft portion 6 inwardly of the.-.tubular air conning element 8 forpermittinga desired amount Yof air to pass through the by-pass into thehorizontally extending shaft portion 6 without traveling through Athetubular element 8.l A certain amount `of the Vair Awhich will naturallytravel through this passageway .may be .coiivertedaround the power`generator by this construction for/varying the speed of the 4shaft and`spirally formed blade 12 yand 13 respectively. i

'lf desired, the inner end of the shaft 12 may be provided with agovernor 19 having connected thereto a flexible cable or chain 2() whichis connected at .itsfree end to an arm 21 earriedlby a sliding valve.element 22 which is adapted for ,being shifted to: control the amountof air passing through the tubu lar air confining element 8 or tovcompletely shut ofi" the by-pass 16 thereby providing means forgoverning the speed of the shaft 12. A spring element 23 is provided fornormally retaining the sliding valve 22 in a position for closing theley-pass 16. It will be seen by this construction that when the by-passis closed by the valve 22, the inner end of the tubular air confiningelement 8 is open for allowing the air to travel therethrough.

Then the valve element 22 is in the position shown in Figs. 3 and et,the by-pass 15 is completely shut off so that the full power of the airin passing through the tube 8 is completely utilized in driving thespiral blades 13 and shaft 12. It is not the inten tion to completelyshut ofi the flow of air through the tube 8 at any time, but only toclose the same partially at the outlet end of the tube to control theamount of air passing therethrough and thus regulate the speed ofrotation of the shaft l2. The present disclosure is intended only toregulate the speed. Therefore, the draft is not interfered with and thedevice is continuous in operation. Also, the utility of the by-pass andvalve member that partially closes the outletend of the passage shouldbe appreciated, especially in such installations where the generator isdisposed at the exhaust or outlet of a furnace or the like, and whereinan unobstructed outlet for the furnace or the like must exist.

It 'is believed that the operation and construction of the pneumaticallyoperated power generator embodying this invention will be completelyunderstood from the above detail description and accompanying drawings.It is to be understood, however, that the form of this inventionherewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred example ofthe same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangementof parts may be resorted, to withoutl departing from the spirit of theinvention or the Scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:-

l. In a power generator of the type described, the combination with apassage way formed by a horizontal and a vertical shaft communicatingwith each other forming an air draft passage, of an air propelledelement at the mouth of the horizontal shaft, means for confining theair passing through the last mentioned shaft to the zone occupied bysaid element, a by-pass communicating at its inner end with thehorizontal shaft inwardly of said element, and a slid-ing plate valveoperated by the speed of said element for partially closing andcompletely opening the passagefor air through the horizontal shaft andfor partially opening and completely closing the by-pass.

2. In a power generator of the type described, the combination with apassage way formed by a horizontally extending and a verticallyextending shaft communicating with each other and forming an air draftpassage, of an air propelled element adapted to be propelled by said airpositioned at the mouth of the horizontal shaft, a by-pass communicatingat its inner end with the horizontal shaft inwardly of said airpropelled element, a manually operated valve element associated with themouth of said by-pass for varying the amount of air admitted thereto,and a second valve element asso ciated with the inner end of saidby-pass and the horizontal shaft inwardly of said air propelled element,and a speed governor associated with said air propelled element forregulating the speed of the latter by controlling the relative amount ofairk passing through the by-pass and said air propelled element.

3. In a vpower generator of the type described, the combination with apassage way formed by a horizontal and a vertical shaft communicatingwith each other and forming an air draft passage, of a tubular airconfining element positioned in the mouth of the horizontally extendingshaft, a rotatable shaft extending longitudinally through the airconfining element, a spirally formed blade mounted upon said rotatableshaft adapted to be engaged by the air traveling through said confiningelement, a by-pass around the portion of said horizontally extendingshaft communicating therewith inwardly of the tubular air confiningelement, and a sliding plate valve operated by the speed of therotatable shaft for controlling the relative amount of air passingthrough the by-pass and the'horizontal shaft.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

AUGUST H. SCHREIBERf

